Around the time when Twilight was all the rage, fans of supernatural coming-of-age romance stories found a small screen answer to that worldwide phenomenon in The Vampire Diaries. Developed by Julie Plec and Kevin Williamson from a series of novels by L.J. Smith, the show follows teenage Elena Gilbert (Nina Dobrev), who finds herself in a love triangle with brothers Stefan (Paul Wesley) and Damon Salvatore (Ian Somerhalder), who also happen to be immortal creatures of the night.
One of the best horror TV shows on Max, the series lasted eight seasons on The CW and spawned two spin-offs (The Originals and Legacies) but we imagine that, if you are a fan, you have probably seen those shows already. If you are looking to expand your purview with some fresh blood, perhaps these other TV shows like The Vampire Diaries might quench your thirst.
A Discovery Of Witches (2018-2022)
A woman (played by Teresa Palmer) who comes from a family with witchcraft in its history falls for a charismatic Englishman (played by Matthew Goode), who turns out to be a natural enemy of her kind.
Why it is a great show to watch if you are a fan of The Vampire Diaries: Another TV adaptation of a book series (Deborah Harkness’ All Souls trilogy) involving a complicated romance between a vampire and a woman (a witch, in this case) is the U.K.-based A Discovery of Witches, which is also available with a Shudder subscription.
- Stream A Discovery of Witches on Netflix
- Stream A Discovery of Witches on AMC+
- Buy A Discovery of Witches on Amazon
- Buy A Discovery of Witches on Blu-ray on Amazon
First Kill (2022)
Teenagers Juliette (Sarah Catherine Hook) and Calliope (Imani Lewis) are immediately drawn to each other, only to discover they are natural enemies.
Why it is a great show to watch if you are a fan of The Vampire Diaries: V.E. Schwab adapts her own short story, First Kill, into this short-lived Netflix original series which is another coming-of-age story about a complicated romance between a vampire and a young woman, who is a vampire hunter in this case.
Buffy The Vampire Slayer (1997-2003)
Teenage Buffy Summers (Sarah Michelle Gellar) discovers that she is destined to defend the earth from all forms of otherworldly evil, with the help of friends and her school's librarian.
Why it is a great show to watch if you are a fan of The Vampire Diaries: The ultimate coming-of-age series about a young woman who has shared a romance with a bloodsucker (when she was not hunting one) is one of the best horror TV shows on Hulu, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, which also one of The CW's biggest supernatural hits when it was still called The WB.
- Stream Buffy the Vampire Slayer on Hulu
- Buy Buffy the Vampire Slayer on Amazon
- Buy Buffy the Vampire Slayer on DVD on Amazon
Roswell (1999-2002)
In a New Mexico town famous for being the site of a fabled UFO crash, three teens struggle to hide the fact that they are not from around here.
Why it is a great show to watch if you are a fan of The Vampire Diaries: Another romantic and bizarre coming-of-age WB hit is Roswell, in which Shiri Appleby stars as a young woman named Liz, who falls for a man who is not quite human (in this case an alien-human hybrid named Max, played by Jason Behr).
Supernatural (2005-2020)
Following in the footsteps of their parents, Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean Winchester (Jensen Ackles) search for things that go bump in the night so they can bump back.
Why it is a great show to watch if you are a fan of The Vampire Diaries: Creator Eric Kripke's mega-popular supernatural WB/CW hit is not particularly romantic but the alliances that Sam and Dean form with otherworldly beings in the Supernatural cast (especially Misha Collins' Castiel) are quite endearing.
Being Human (2011-2014)
A vampire (played by Sam Witwer), a werewolf (played by Sam Huntington), and a ghost (played by Meaghan Rath) try to blend in while sharing an apartment together.
Why it is a great show to watch if you are a fan of The Vampire Diaries: In addition to its absorbing romantic plot points, Syfy's North American version of the British supernatural dramedy Being Human is also a great match to The Vampire Diaries for how it explores the struggles that come with being a creature of the night in the modern world.
Chilling Adventures Of Sabrina (2018-2020)
Kiernan Shipka stars as an enchanted teen whose bid to share a normal life with her mortal friends is constantly interrupted by strange circumstances plaguing her town.
Why it is a great show to watch if you are a fan of The Vampire Diaries: Netflix's Chiling Adventures of Sabrina — a far darker interpretation of the popular Archie Comics character than the Melissa Joan Hart-led sitcom — is another coming-of-age drama about struggling to balance one's commitment to their human side with their supernatural side.
V-Wars (2019)
Melted ice caused by climate change suddenly unleashes an ancient virus that begins transforming the infected into blood-thirsty, nocturnal savages.
Why it is a great show to watch if you are a fan of The Vampire Diaries: Just a few years after saying goodbye to the Vampire Diaries cast, Ian Somerhalder returned to that world but in a human role on a series that explored the ugly side of vampirism called V-Wars, which only lasted one season on Netflix.
The Summer I Turned Pretty (2022-Present)
After turning 16, Belly (Lola Tung) suddenly attracts newfound attention from childhood friends, and brothers, Conrad (Christopher Briney) and Jeremiah (Gavin Casalegno) while spending the summer together.
Why it is a great show to watch if you are a fan of The Vampire Diaries: Not every show has to be supernatural to appeal to The Vampire Diaries fans, such as the coming-of-age Amazon Prime original TV show, The Summer I Turned Pretty, which also involves a captivating love triangle plot.
Pretty Little Liars (2010-2017)
Following the disappearance of their friend, four young women fall prey to a mysterious enemy who threatens to reveal their most damning innermost secrets.
Why it is a great show to watch if you are a fan of The Vampire Diaries: While also not a supernatural drama (despite spawning a short-lived supernatural spin-off called Ravenswood), Pretty Little Liars is chock-full of the same kind of high-stakes teen drama that makes The Vampire Diaries relatable and absorbing.
- Stream Pretty Little Liars on Hulu
- Stream Pretty Little Liars on Max
- Buy Pretty Little Liars on Amazon
- Buy Pretty Little Liars on Blu-ray on Amazon
I understand if you can't get enough of using your Max subscription to watch The Vampire Diaries for the umpteenth time, but we hope you enjoy any of these alternatives.
